Flying machine



Nov. 18, 1930. s. c. ANKER-HOLTH FLYING MACHINE Filed Sept. 25, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l Q 5 hn M k \h R m m 5w w m 4 m I. b a s .MQ

72 4; n n o n n n/n I/ NOV. 18, 1930. I S c K H 1,781,910

' FLYING MACHINE Filed Sept. 25, 1928' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 18, 1930 I 'Applicatioii fired September: 25, 928; ,ser ai'm. 305,239.;

My invention relates to flying imachines,

and moreparticularlyto a heavier-than-air type of flying machine which also embodies something of the helicopter principle with propellers turning'about vertical axes, with shutters above the same and withb'afile mem I bers forwardly and rearwardly of' said pro pellers, whereby air forced against said bafiie members will move said fiyingcmachine-for wardly or rearwardly, depending upon the adjustment of said bafile members.

- Among the salient objectsiof my inventionare: to provide a, flyingn'iachine of the character referred to Wlth a mlnimum of lfihead resistance, thus making it possible'to attain greater speed with less power; to provide a construction and arrangement in which air is drawn from above the machine and delivered underneath said machine, thus producing a suotionfromabove the machine 9 to provide ineansfor automatically operating and creating a pressure on the undersidethereof; to provide in connection with such a machine specially designed propellers capable of adjustment for the purpose ofchang-V iiig the pitch of the propeller blades; to pro videin connection with propeller blades a series of sub-blades or vanes forming a part thereof for forcing the-air in a direction at right angles to the axes of'said propellers;

the shutters used in connection withthe propellers, and, in generahto" provide an improved, practical and efiicient flying machine of the general character referred to. In or.-

4 der to more particularly describe my inven tion, Iliave illustrated the same on the accompanying sheet'of drawings, which I will' now describe.

Figure. lis a top planvieiv of a'flying machine embodying my invention, with middle portion broken away;

Figure 2 is a vertical, longitudinal sectional view thereof, taken on line-22,- of

Figs. 1- and 3; e ,V

Figure 3 ma vertical, transverse sect onal view taken on line 33, ofFig' 2v;

Figure 4 is a top'plan' view :of an automatic control mechanism;

Figure 5 is a vertical sectionalv1ewthereof, taken on 11118 5-5 of Fig. 14; a

Figure 6 a plan 'view' ofa mechanism electrically controlled for opening the shut- V terS; s

. Figure 7 isa side view thereof, partly in. section, on line 7.7 of Fig: 6; a V Figure 8is.-a fragmentaryviewofthe propeller,' partlyin section and with the ends of the blades broken away;

FigufreQ is a vertical sectional View there of, taken on line 9+9 of "Fig.8 and Figure -10 is: an enlarged fragmentaryview showing the shutter mounting.

Referring now niore in detailito the draw- 7 ings, my inventionjin its general'form is rectangular as to 1ts upper port on, with a mid 'dle'depending cabin o'r'housing ,The upper 7 portion includes two outer side members 11 11, extending longitudinally of said'struoture,-and shown in section in Fig.3, with a floor member. '12, having openings 13, 13,

over the propellers designated as a. whole,

14, 14, there being two propellers v shown, one

forwardly and one rearwardly l The propeller construction is s'hown more in detail in Figs. 8 and 9. Each comprises a central web or body portionlzlfi, with four bearing boXes,fas 15,arranged around the edge of saidbody 15, at right angles to each other. e

Within these bearing boxes are' mounted the end an annular fiange21, with ball bearings 22 and .23 above and below said round or sleeve rack 20. I Said sleeve 21 fits over a tubu 'lar member 24, having longitudinal slots in iits opposite sides, said slots being'designated '24. Saidsleeve24isfixedly supported in a'box 25, at itsilow'er end and in a bear ng 26, atfits upper end. Aslide block 27, is

placed within said sleeve 24, with "a; screw rod 28, provided at its upper end with a beveled gear 29,meshing with anotherbeveled gear 30, on anoper'ating r'od- 31,"whereby when said operating rod 31'is turned, through its connections, the slide b1ock27, sleeve .21,

and sleeve rack 20, will be moved axially, with the result that the propeller blades 16, Willthe box bearing 25, meshing with small beveled gear 35, on drive sha'tt36i Suit-able roller bearings, as 37 areused Where antiiriction devices can be placed; It is to Heuriderstood that the four propellersarefthesame and are operated as a unit bythe drive shaft 36,fwhich connects with the motor M' at one end, and; at its other end, through the'gears 35, 34 and sleeve or tubular member 32, drive said propellers 16, 16; The arms 18, 1 8,and the round or sleeve raclv2l'0,turntogether on the sleeve 21, theball bearings 22 and 23, and-a relative-ly.loose fit of said sleeve or round rack on said sleeve 21 making this possible and practical,- and thus providing means for turning the propellerbladesaboutthei r axes through the connections fromthe rod 31, as before described. The drive shaft 36 is enclosed ina fixed'tube 36. i i

Mounted above the propellers and the propeller openings 13,13, are four series of shutters 37 and 37 in front'and 38 and38-at the opposite sides in the rearL-"The detail of said shutters is designated in Fig; 10. Itwill be seen that three. shutters of eachlser-ies incline inone-direction'and threeincline in theopposite direction, When-open, assho'wn in F ig. 3. Said shutters are opened and closed by means of cables, C, from the upper edges of said shutters, overl pulleys*39,-=to a single or master zcableirt'or each series, said master-cable being designated C, and there being-one for each series of shutters, said master cables, four in number," being extended down into the cabin Wherethey areeach connected to an opera-ting lever 40,- Fig; 7, said operating levers being automatically controlled and operatedin a manner which I will now describe, referring Figs. 4, 5,,6-and 7. z, i

-;Suspe11decl from the upper floor member 12, by four bolts, 41, 41, with interposed cylinder and spring shock'absorbers, as 42, is an electric control mechanism including "a swinging contact pendulum 43, with circuit wire 44, said pendulum swingingin a tube 45, supported at its lower end on a base 46. having an open center 47,.W1th iour contact plates 48, 48, on its underside, as shovvnin light broken lines, F 1g. 4, with their corners extended slightly in the open center 47;

whereby the swinging pendulum element 43.

in "swinging-will contact with one or twoof said contact plates 48,48. The base '46 i'spf insulating material. Saidbase and contact plates are supported aby'fourbolts49, 4.9, from 1?)articula-rly to.

a member 50, of insulating material and supported at the upper end of rods 51, 51, se-

cured in a member 52, of insulating material, but with metal plates, 53, 53, connecting bolts 51 and 41 for circuit purposes, just as plates 53, 53, on the underside of member 50, make circuit connection between rods 49 and 51.'

The corner rods or bolts 41,41, at their upper ot the ires 54, 54, as hereinafter referred to.

The four circuit Wires 54, 54, connect in circuit With 'four electromagnets, 55, 55, one ofwvhi'Ch-is shown in F-ig-"T, and two of which are indicated in F (S. Movingin said magnets areal-matures, as 56, spring returned to normal position, the sp ing 'be ing vdesignate'c'l '57; and bearing against the top ;of the magnet and against the armature b,v by 1 means" of a screw plug 58, connected "by means of a link 59, with a lever 60, piv-g o-ta'lly'mounted ona shaft 61, and'providedat its free movable'end with upper and lo ne'r Irollers 16:2 and 63; 40, to which master cable C connects, is provided at its other end with a toothed segment A holding spat-l 64, is mounted on :the frame member 65, and normally moved cutaway from-said segment by means of spring 66.: ,:A;-pa'\v1 operating lever '67 is'pivotally mounted at one endron said shaft 61, and at its opposite end is provide'divith a fork 67, over a grooved, eccentrically mounted cam 68, on a shaft 69, with drive Wheel. 70. It'Will be understood that there are rear of these groups of mechanisms, one for each of the four master cables from the four series tr shutters 38,38. A pawl 67* is mounted on and moves With the lever 67, and is normally spring-pressed to'en'gage the ratchet segment 40xby a spring 71, but is held :out of operating position by the roller 63;; avhe'nthc lever '60 isdoivn; hen the ele'ctromagnet- 55'isenergized, however, and the arn'lature 56 is raised, throughlink 59, lever 60 is also raised, whereupon roller (52 moves pawl 64 into holding-engagement with the segment 40 and permits -'sp'ring' 71 to move pawl 67 into operating position' tor operatii'ig said ratchet segment 40 and the lever 40iorpul1ing-on the cable CC As said shaft .69 is running"constantly, and lever 67 is oscillating, its operating pawl 67 ivill continue tdraise said-"ratchet segment 40 and lower its lever 40 so long as said elem tromagnet is energized; Said magnet is energized through circuits completed by the contacts made by the swinging pendulum 43, in the mechanism shown in: and 5 and previously described. Thev ft t er cables :0 are shown in Fig"? down into the cabin,

The operating lever which is the mechanism' just described for a automatically operating the shutters88, as

the flying machine tilts one way or the other;

sufficiently to swing the pendulum contact memberf i3 into contact with one or more of the contact plates L8, &8, as before de scribed. When the magnets are deenergized, the lever drops and the rollers62 and63 thereon disengage the pawls 64' and and. the shutters open by gravity to the positions shown in Fig. 3. 1

I will now describe the means for causing the flying machine to backwardly, and referring to Fig. 2. At

the opposite ends of each group of shutters,

and forward-1y and rearwardlyyof the'propellers, are mounted swinging wings or pocket-forming members, 72, 72, each with a cable attaching lever, as 7e.

Two operating shafts 75 and 76 are mounted in the upper partof the cabin, over the head of the pilot, and providedwith hand wheels 75 and 76, respectively at their ad jacent ends, near the pilot, and at their outer ends are provided with 3 cable-operating drums 77 and 78, over which run the-open ating bers 72, 72, 73 and 73'. Said-"drums are double and each has an endless cable'run- 'ning back and connecting with the cable levers 74 on the pocket forming members and returning to its drum,=whereby as said drum is turned in one direction or "the other, a forward and backward'pocket forming memher will be moved togethenone being opened and the other closed. Referring toFig. 2,

I it will be seen that the pocket-forming n1emwill be closed and members 73 and here 72 and 72 are open for forward proulsion of the fl ing machine While jocket- P I forming members (3 and 73 are closed and air discharged'from the propellers rearwardly will pass under's'aid members,while air forced forwardly will impact in said'pockets at 72 and 72" and move said machine forwardly The propellerblades are provided on their undersides with diagonally. positloned fine or angle members 16 for forc ng air horizontally as the propellers are driven about their vertical axes] The four endless cables for operating the 1 pairs of pocket-.

forming wings or membersi'72, 72, 73 and 73', are designated 72, 72". 73 and 73".

\Vhen hand wheel 76 is turned in one direction. the members 72 and'r'Q will be opened.

I as shown in Fig. 2, and members 73 and 73 move forwardly or r cables for the pocket-forming mem is, the pockets are'made in sections, rather I than ascontinuous pocket forming members extendlng entirely across the plane. I

"Ahorizontal rudder 79 is pivotally mount, ed atithe rea-r'endaof said machine,iwith "up per and lower arms T9 towhich is Connected a cable'80,extended to and around 'a' drum 81,'with'operating' hand wheel 82, in front of the pilot. 7 I I a A vertical rudder 83,. is also pivotally mounted at the rear of the machine, under}- the rearward end thereof, as indicated in Figs. 1and'2, with arms 83 atopposite-sides to which connect operatin cable 8% extended forwardly to pulleys at 85, and down-- wardly under the floor of the cabin and around pulleys at 86, 87, and thence around a drum or pulley 88, on thelo-Wer endofa steering rod89, with handwhe'el 9 0, in front of V the pilots chair 91," for operation for steering the flying machine right or left.

In describing the propellers, I have shown.

mechanism for adjusting thepropeller blades about their longitudinal axes, as shown:in

Fig. 9,-with an operating-rod 31. Thisrodis shown extended over the ,pilots head, inthe 1 upper part of the cabin, and is iprovided with f a pulley 31, over which runsan' operating cable 31 extended downto a drum' 92, in

7 front of the pilot, with operating hand wheel 93. Thus by the operation of said hand wheel 93, through .the connections up to rod, 81, the pitch of the propellerblades can be changed through the mechanism shown in Fig; 9, showing how said rod 31 connects with gears 29 and 30, and the screw rod 28 forturning said propeller blades without interfering with their revolving motion.

' Thus by the operation of the handiwheel 90, with its connections-to the vertical rudder 83, the machine can be steered to right or left. By the operation of the hand Wheel 82,

with its connections to the horizontal rudder 79', the machine can be; directed upwardly or downwardly. By the operation of the hand wheels and 76the pocket-foriningm'empockets forwardly or rearwardly of the pro-. pellers to receive the impact of, the airblast from said propellers for moving the machine forwardly or rearwardly, The equilibrium of the machme 1s maintainedas it is rising or flying bynieans ofthe automatic electric'cout-rol mechanism which closesthe different groups of shutters over the propellers and down throughwhich air passes-in the upward movement of the machine on an even keel. Should the machine 'tiltat either side or forwardly or rearwardly, said automatic mechanism would operate to restore 'it to proper horizontal position; There are four groups of's'hutters, at thefour corners-of the machine and theseare operable as needed to control that cornerof the flying machine. These shutterscontrol the suction of air down bers 72, 72, 7 3 and 7 3 can be moved to-open.

is. saiiil cabin a motor for driving said propellers through the machine by the propellers as the machine rises, while the air impact against the pockets moves the machinehorizontally.

I do not limit the invention to'the details of construction and arrangement shown for illustrative purposes, realizing that many changes can be' made therein without departing from the spirit thereof, and it'is my intention to limit the invention only by broad interpretation of the 'heretov appended claims.

- turn about a vertical axis, a motor for drivingjsaid propeller, shutters above said propeller and adjustable tdregulate suction of air downwardly by said propeller, means for forming impactpocket in horizontal almementw'ithsaid propeller, whereby air from said propeller laterally will impact in said pocket and move said flying machine horizon tally,iand means on the blades of said propel ler rm causing a lateral discharge of air therefrom v z Ina flying machine," a body, acabin carried thereby, two propellers mounted to turn about vertical axes, one of said propellers bein'g forwardly: and the other rearwardly of said cabin, anioto'r for driving said propel-v lers, shutters iii-said body above said propel lers and adjustable to regulate the suction downwardly throughwsaid body by said' propellers, means forming impact pockets for vardlv and rearwardl-y of said propellers, said 'uieans being adjustable toopen or close said pocketmwhereby air discharged later ally from said propellers will movesaid flying machine horizontally. A i

7 i. In a flying machine, a: body, a oabincarried thereby, two propellers mounted to turn about vertical axes, oneof said propellers beferwardly and the'other rearwardly of together. a group of horizontal shutters in said body above each propeller for controlling the suction downwardly through said body bysaid propellers, means forming imact pockets in horizontal alinement with said propellers to receive air forced laterally by said propellers to more said flying inachine'horizontally, means for opening and closing said pockets at will, and means on said propellers for causing lateral discharge of air against- (said pockets for moving said flypropeller, means for forming impact pockets in horizontal alinement with said propellers, means on said propellers blades for causing a lateral discharge of air therefrom to impact said pockets, and a motor for driving said propeller. 7

6. In aflying machine, in combination, a horizontal body structure, mounted to turn about vertical axes, one forwardly andthe other rearwardly in said body structure, a motor for driving said propellers together to lift said flying machine, means forming impact pockets in horizontal alinement with said propellers, forwardly and rearwardly thereof for moving said flying machine horizontally, means on said propeller blades for causing-a lateral discharge of air to impact said pockets, and means for adjustingsaid) pocket forming means at will to determine the direction of movement horizontally of said flying machine.

7. In a flying machine, in combination, a horizontal body structure, two propellers mounted to turn above vertical axes, one forwa-rdly andthe other rearwardly in said body structure,- a motor for driving said propellers together to lift said flying machine, means forming impact pockets in horizontal alinement with said propellers, forwardly and rearwardly thereof for moving said flying machine horizontally, means on said piropeller for causing a lateral discharge of air to'impact said pockets, means for adjusting said pocket-forming means at will to determinethe direction of movement horizontally of said flying machine','.and adjustable shutters in said body structure-abovesaid propellers to control the suction down through said body caused by said propellers.

8. Inav flying machine, a horizontal body structure having four groups of-horizontal shutterstherein, two propellers mounted in said body structure to turn about vertical axes, one forwardlyand the other reari'vardly in said body structure,said shutters being adapted to control the suction of air down wardly through said body by said propellers, motor means for driving said propellers, means for'forming impact pockets forward. ly and rearwardly of said propellers and po sitioned to receive impact of air forced laterally by said propellers, said propellers being designed to force air laterally therefrom, and means forinoving said shutters to control the suction of air downwardly through said body, whereby to regulate the rise of said flying machine and to maintain the same on an even keel.

9. In a flying machine, a horizontal body structure, two propellers therein Ito turn two propellers;

In a flying machine, a body, a propeller I 7- mg said flying machine. j a 13. A flying machine comprlsmg a hor1zon about "vertical axes, groups of shutters inautomatically opening and closing said shutters, said means being'controlled by the tilting of said flying machine from its horizontal flying position.

j 10. In a flying machine, a horizontal body structure, two propellers therein to turn about vertical axes,motor means for driving said propellers together, means for forming impact pockets forwardly and rearwardly of said propellers to receive the impact of air discharged laterally from said propellers,

means for adjusting said pocket-forming means at will, and means for adjusting said propellers to change the pitch thereof, said propellers being designed to discharge air laterally. V

11. In a flying machine, a horizontal body structure, two propellers therein to turn about vertical axes, motor means for driving said propellers together, means for forming im-- pact pockets forwardly and rearwardly of said propellers to receive the impact of air discharged laterally from said propellers,

means for adjusting 7 said pocket-forming means at will, means for adjusting said pro pellers to change the pitch thereof, said pro pellers being designed to discharge air laterally, and shutter meansassociated with said propellers. for controlling the suction down through said body structure by said propellers.

12. A flying machine comprising a horizontal body structure, a'plurality of horizontal propellers mounted therein to turn about vertical axes, motor means for driving said propellers, groups of shutters associated with said propellers to control the suction down-V iwardly through said body structureby said propellers, means for automaticallyadjusting said shutters to maintain said flying machine in horizontal position, means for forming impact pockets forwardl of said probody structure, means for automatically controlling shutters, said means being e'lectrically controlled and by a swinging contact element, whereby tilting of said flying mac chine causes saidmech'anism to automatically i' operate some of said'shutter-s, meansforming impact pockets forwardly of said propellers,

whereby air discharged laterally from said propellers moves said flying machine horizontally.

let. In a structure, a plurality of propellers mounted to turn about vertical axes, each propeller blade being adjustable axially to change its pitch, manually operable mechanism for turning said blades to change its pitch, said mechanism being operable while said pro-.

peller is revolving, said propeller blades being designed to force air laterally therefrom,

motor Lmeans for driving said propellers, pocket forming means forwardly'of said propellers to receive the impact of air discharged flying machine, a horizontal body laterally formoving said flying; machine horizontally,shutters horizontally related to: sa1d propellers to control-the suction of air down through said body structure, and means 1 for automatically operating said shutters to maintain horizontal position of said flying machine. r I

15.'In a flying machine,horizontal propellers for lifting said machine, motor means for driving said'propellers together, shutters,

associated with said propelle'rsfor controlling the down suction caused by said propellers, said shutters beingiadapted'to open and close, means forautomatically moving saidshutters, said means' including electromagnets and to circuit connections, and a swinging pendulum contact member adapted to automatically close said circuits by swinging into contact therewith as said flying machine tilts from a horizontal position, and pocket forming means horizontally positioned relative to said propellers to receive air -forced laterally by said propellers, and means forming apart of said propellers for forcing air laterally as they operate.-

f Signed at Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, this 19 day of Sept,

pellers to receive the impact o air discharged laterally from said propellers, means for opening and closing said impact pockets to determine the horizontal movement of said flying machine, and rudder means for steertal body structure, a plurality of propellers therein, turning about verticalaxes, motor means for driving said propellers together to lift said flying machine, groups of shutters sn'vnnnv GANKER'HOLTH;

associated with said propellers for controlling the suction of air down through said 

